Methods and apparatuses for remote control of vehicle devices and vehicle lock-out notification

• US 20070200671A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Silva, Guillermo, Kelley, Nia
• Granted Patent: US 7,961,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.720
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition

Abstract

Methods, systems, and media for remote control of a vehicle device and vehicle lockout notification are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of creating a secure bidirectional communication link between a remote access device and a central locking unit (CLU) of a vehicle, enabling the central locking unit to authenticate a user of the remote access device to manipulate a device of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the CLU may wait for an access attempt from a mobile device. In other embodiments, the CLU monitor vehicle conditions, detect a lockout condition, and alert the user before authenticating and granting vehicle access. Embodiments utilize private and shared key encryption methods to facilitate securely passing an access code between the CLU and the remote access device. Some embodiments authenticate the user by voice verification, while other embodiments may use personal identification numbers.

Claims

1. A method to manipulate a vehicle device of a vehicle via a remote access device, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a vehicle controller and the remote access device;

transferring data via the communication link; and

manipulating the vehicle device via the vehicle controller based upon receipt of modified data from the remote access device, wherein the modified data includes data modified via an encryption key of an encryption key pair.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the encryption key pair by the vehicle controller and transmitting the encryption key to the remote access device, wherein the encryption key is used to decrypt the data to create the modified data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising authenticating a user of the remote access device by the vehicle controller, wherein transmitting the encryption key is based upon successful authentication of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein authenticating a user of the remote access device by the vehicle controller comprises verifying user identity by comparing the voice of the user with a voice sample stored in the vehicle controller.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating and storing a first code by the vehicle controller, encrypting the first code using a second encryption key of the encryption key pair to create the data, and sending the data to the remote access device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the data by the remote access device, decrypting the data via the encryption key to create the modified data, and sending the modified data to the vehicle controller.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the modified data by the vehicle controller and comparing the modified data with the first code, wherein manipulating the vehicle device based upon the modified data comprises manipulating the vehicle device based upon the comparison.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the modified data by the remote access device and prompting the user to send the modified data to the vehicle controller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that an unlocking device for the vehicle has been locked inside the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying a user of the remote access device that the unlocking device has been locked inside the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein notifying the user comprises sending a message to a mobile device of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the data comprises transferring the data between a cellular telephone and the vehicle controller.

13. An apparatus to control a vehicle device of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a controller to manipulate the vehicle device based upon receipt of modified data from a remote access device;

a wireless transmitting circuit and a wireless receiving circuit coupled to the controller to transmit and receive information to and from the remote access device, wherein at least one of the transmitted information and the received information is encrypted using a key from an encryption key pair.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller to sense when a key has been locked in the vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the key comprises an embedded transmitter to transmit a signal in response to a polling signal transmitted from a polling signal transmitter coupled to the controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a display apparatus and a keypad to assist a user in configuring one or more of the parameters of the controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor and a trusted platform module.

18. A controller-accessible medium containing instructions, which when executed by a controller of a vehicle, cause the controller to perform operations for allowing a remote access device to manipulate a vehicle device, comprising:

establishing a communication link between the controller and the remote access device;

transferring information between the remote access device and the controller, wherein the information is encrypted using a first encryption key from an encryption key pair; and

manipulating the vehicle device based upon the encrypted information.

19. The controller-accessible medium of claim 18, further comprising authenticating a user of the remote access device.

20. The controller-accessible medium of claim 18, further comprising determining that a key for the vehicle has been locked inside the vehicle and notifying the user that the key has been locked inside the vehicle.